The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-06
STARS IN JUNE.
Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus
out in the Evening.
Providence Journal. ]

providence Journal
Venus Is evening star. The faireSt of the
stars is still moving eastward. and will con-
tinue to do so during the month. She has
met Saturn in her course, and is now reced-
ing from him as rapidly as she approached
HIM during the month of May. On the LIST
she will be in conjunction with Pollux, or
Beta Geminorum, at seven o'clock in the
evening, being 70 south Of the star On the
18th she will enter the constellation Cancer.
and passing near several ANAL stars in her
course will, on the 18th, make her way
through the nebulous cluster of minute stars
in the crest of Cancer, called Praesepe. The
passage of the planet through the cluster
may be easily observed with the aid of a
good opera glass. On the 23d she enters the
constellation Leo, and for the rest of the
month makes her swift way towards Regulus.
the leading brilliant in Leo. NJ. Brugiere.
the president Of the Flammarion Scientific
society at Marseilles, records in L. Astrono-
ME that he saw with the naked eye Venus
near the moon in full daylight. The time of
the observation was March n, at two o'clock
in the afternoon, the planet being % As from
the center of the moon, and the moon being
20 10 from the sun. 1t is noteworthy oc-
currenee to see Venus IN broad daylight
when so far away from tie earth as she
was in March, for she does not reach her
maximum brilliancy until August Is, when
ordinary observers in this part of the world
may easily lind her, provided they know
where to look Our nearest celestial neigh
Dor, seen through the telescope, takes on the
aspect OF the gibbous moon shortly before
the last quarter. But Venus, in the telescope,
Is disappointing object on account of her
intense and dazzling brilliancY, while Venus,
as seen by the naked eye, vending her way
among the lesser stars, is an object of sur
passing beauty. She reached her greatest
northern declination on May 10 and since
That time has been moving south. Observers
can readily follow her course, as she passes
south of Pollux, plunges through the nebu-
lous mass In Cancer, and makes her swift
way toward Regulus, in the handle OF the
Sickle. Personal observation of this kind
VIII greatly Increase the interest in astrono-
my, Tor those who know the stars even by
name feel a kind of ownership in them, which
Is certainly undisputed.
Jupiter is evening star. He is now in the
best possible conditions for observation with
the unalded eye and with the telescope He
is still continuing his retrograde course in
the constellation of the Virgin, and approach-
ing nearer the bright star Spica. On the LIST
he Is 5ao east of the STAR ON the 22d he is A.
northeast of the star. A change then occurs
IN Jupiter's apparent motion. He remains
stationary Tor few days, and then COM
mences to move eastward OF in a direct
course, in which he will continue until the
end of the year.
The triangle of planets, consisting of Jupi-
ter, Uranus and Vesta, is still visible to the
though the planets have changed slightly
their position IL the sky. Uranus is % south
OF Gamma Virgins and VeSta is very near
Zeta, Virgins. The triangle is now nearly
equllateral, with Jupiter and Vesta for the
sighted observers may succeed in obtaining
view OF Jupiter in daylight. The 1st is
good time for making the experiment, for he
Is then near conjunction With the moon,
Whlch VIII serve as guide to lis position.
He must be looked for few degrees south
OF the moon. short distance above the hori-
zon. Those who wish to test their visual
powers, If they are of unusual excellence.
will behold, on the I'd, the third satellite of
Jupiter, east of the planet.
Saturn Is evening star. This softly beam
ing planet is fair to see during the larger por-
ton OF the month. as he forms part of a
rarely beautiful picture of the glory of the
stars. The brilliant Venus is east of him,
Castor and Pollux are north, and Procyon is
south. Thus Saturn, Venus. Castor, Pollux
portion of the heavens. 1t is rare occur
renee when five first magnitude stars are
found In such near proximity.
a change will soon be manifest in the
celestial picture. Venus is speeding her
hight away from her brother planet. and
Saturn's course as evening star is nearly
ended. He will be seen no more at present
after the month closes. He is then SO near
the sun that he sets about an hour later, and
MS hight is eclpSed in the all powerful beams
OF the great luminary.
Mercury is evening star. On the Goth he is
IN conjunction with Saturn at four o'clock in
the afternoon, being Il So south. A tele.
scope will give a fine view of the two planets
on the evening of the goth, while good OBJ
servers VIII be able to find them with the
q c NV MT o.
ing until nine O'clock more than an hour and
a nail after the sun. During the last ten or
Twelve days of the month Mercury will pre-
sent unusually favorable conditions for OBJ
servatlon as evening star on account of his
nigh northern declination He seems to
follow nearly the same path that marked the
course OF Venus during May, only moving
much faster over the track. He draws near
the same same stars that have become famil- |
lar by their conjunctions with Saturn and
venus; On the Sth he is in conjunction
WITH Eta Geminorum, on the 9th with Mu
Gemlnorum, on the 14th with Zeta Gemin-
Drum, on the Goth with Saturn After the
last conjunction he will be visible to the end
Oh tne month, growing brighter every night,
ana may be readily found with the help of an
opera glass by observers who command
view OF the northwest horizon.
uranus Is evening star. The event that
marks his progress during the month is his
quadrature with the sun, which takes place
~ Ss coeih ~ SiShp " ClOch III IHe morning.
Half his journey from opposition to con-
Junction Is then accomplished, and he will
soon be too far from the earth to be seen
with the unaided eye.
Neptune is morning star. and travels on
MS slow course with no event to mark his
progress and increasing distance from the
sun. 'N0
Mars is morning star and of little account
IN thls part OF his course, so near the sun and
so lar away from the earth.